C. Marcellus Griffin Blogpost 10- Something to Think About

Everyone in my life knows that I struggle with technology: whether it is connecting the wires of the VCR (DVR), clearing paper jams from a copy machine, or having the patience to keep up with the newest video game or social media sites.  It's a fact- something in my body causes technology to repel against my wishes.

Honestly, I have used this as an excuse for having family members do technical stuff for me around the house, and for the most part, this has served me well.  However, now that I am enrolled in a educational technology course, I am beginning to see the value of improving my technical skill set, and I must admit that I have made significant growth in this area within a relatively short amount of time.

That said, Friday nights are oftentimes regarded as movie night in my house, but it's not quite the picnic you might imagine.    If we are not going out for dinner or something special, I usually want to watch a movie with everyone, but they would rather partake in their video games, which they are not allowed to play during the week.  So movie night usually goes something like this:

I ask my family, "who wants to come up stairs and watch a movie with me?"  I get no response, as my four kids play video games two feet away from me downstairs. Next, I say something like, "that's okay... I guess I'll just go upstairs and watch a sad movie and cry myself to sleep".  Before I can take my fifth step toward my room, my daughter and youngest son give-in with military precision: "Okay dad, I'll watch a movie with you."  Strangely, my wife and two older sons are unaffected, as they continue waste away on the computer or video games.

Anyway, last night, my son, daughter and I watched a movie entitled "Parental Guidance" that really made me think deeply about the significance of technology in my life.  In the beginning of this movie, Artie Decker (Billy Crystal) is fired as an announcer for the Fresno Grizzlies baseball team because he is not up on new technology and doesn't know how to use it. Artie is disappointed because he loved the job.  As an explanation for firing Artie, his boss asks him in quick succession: " Do you have any friends on Facebook?  What was your last post? What was your last update? Have you 'poked' anybody?  Has anyone 'poked' you? Do you know what a 'tweet' is?  Do you 'hash tag'?  Do you play AngryBirds?  Who's your favorite Angrybird? Everybody has a favorite Angrybird!  How many apps do you have?  Everybody has apps! Artie, we need announcers that 'tweet'..

Since Artie's response to all of his boss's questions was either "What??" or "No".  His boss concluded.. "Sorry, my minds made up. (You're fired.)

Though I fell asleep long before the movie ended (as I oftentimes do)  the message of the beginning of this movie resonated clearly:  "The world is changing, and if you don't change with it, you will get left behind."  

I can't wait to ask my kids how the movie ended.

-C. Marcellus Griffin

Blogpost 9- Community Of Practice at a Charter School

C. Marcellus Griffin Blogpost 9- Community of Practice at a Charter School

 

I recently had the privilege of visiting a charter school that uses the Ingenium Learning System.  Ingenium Learning Systems derives it education plan from the RISC model, created by Mr. Richard Di Lorenzo.  By the end of my visit, I had gained so much practical knowledge about the implementation of this model that I plan to discuss the components of this system with my district’s administrative team in an effort to determine whether this type of competency-based education would be useful in our district. 

 

The beauty of the ILS is that it allows students to progress academically at their own pace.  In other words, students no longer must wait until the end of the year to show mastery of the standards before moving to more challenging standards.  Instead, this model allows students to demonstrate proficiency using the POPs (Proofs of Proficiency).

 

Anytime a school takes on a huge undertaking like this, it is expected that the first year’s results will not be drastic.  However, the school I visited has experienced radical API growth in a relatively short amount of time. 

 

In summary, doctoral candidates in the field of education are always inundated with educational theory. Hence, it is very refreshing to observe the practical application of the theories I have studied, especially when the application is effective.  If you have not already done so, you should make it a priority to go out and visit a school that practices competency-based pedagogy.

 

-C. Marcellus Griffin

Blogpost 8- C. Marcellus Griffin-  Competency- Based Education

 

Competency-based learning is based on the idea that students learn at their own pace and should earn credits and advance after they master the material- not just because they have spent a year in a certain class.

Certainly here in the U.S., public education is undergoing drastic changes, especially in states that have adopted the Common  Core State Standards, which aims to boost graduation rates while preparing students for either college or the work force.  In an effort to meet the challenges of Common Core State Standards and competency-based learning ideals, some states have gotten remarkably creative:

Sturgis (2014) Louisiana gives credit for classes that are offered by local business; Rhode Island allows students to earn “digital badges”  outside the classroom for creating business plans; and, Students in Florida and Oregon take massively open online courses, or MOOCS for high school credit. 

The Obama administration gave grants to districts to experiment with the model; the Lindsay district received $10 million from the “Race To the Top” funding. 

Critics of competency-based education system feel that it is too focused on work skill, such as collaboration and not enough on academic excellence and that lower socio economic demographics and minorities may fall farther behind, thereby increasing the academic achievement gap.  However, there are many proponents of moving students through the curriculum as they are ready.  Proponents resent the notion of promoting students “socially” when they fail tests repeatedly.  They feel these students should not be allowed to move forward until they have mastered the standard. 

To learn more about competency-based learning, visit the attached link.  

Competencybased Learning

(hit Control and Click) to follow the link.   

-C. Marcellus Griffin

 

 

Blogpost 7- C. Marcellus Griffin

  Blogpost 7 - C. Marcellus Griffin

Recently, the question “How can educators ensure academic honesty in an online setting was posed to me and to fellow administrators?”  The question was broached in light of the knowledge that the thrust of k-12 educational systems is moving toward a 100% online educational delivery model.  Therefore, the question of how can educators ensure the academic honesty of students in an online setting versus that of students in a face to face setting is very thought-provoking and timely. 

As the integration of technology into curriculum becomes the norm, educators will be faced with increasing academic rigor, while simultaneously ensuring that students remain honest in the submission of authentic work. 

In face to face academic settings, the teacher is present to curtail cheating and to monitor academic progress, but in an online or a distance learning setting the challenge is multiplied.  This task is made more difficult when one considers that students today are more adept at utilizing technology than their teachers are.  So the question becomes, what will be done to ensure that students do not plagiarize their work? 

As an administrator who sometimes struggles with technology in many of its forms, I recognize the inherent challenges posed by the academic honesty question, and I plan to bring this question to my peers when we next convene for an administrative counsel meeting.  The question is timely for administrators in school districts that have recently invested in laptops for their students, in an effort to meet CCSS.  Usually these laptops will have electronic textbooks loaded onto them, which students are expected to use to complete both their classwork and homework.

Thus, students it is imperative that such schools anticipate online cheating and provide both safeguards against it, as well as punishments for it, when it occurs.  This is a very relevant topic for k-12 administrators to discuss, as it is the thrust of contemporary educational systems.  

C. Marcellus Griffin